Eden in the sky
by RaygunRenee
Summary: With the fall of the Fal'Cie centuries ago, Cocoon has decayed into little more than a wasteland where humanity takes refuge in vast cities. But when the death and smog clear the sky, Pulse hangs over head. The moon green with life, an Eden in the sky. Lightning's journey to the stars for a new home reveals that even Eden has its demons.
1. Chapter 1

Lightning gripped her cup of coffee tighter and buried the pink on her cheeks down into her jacket, it was probably snowing outside, not that she could tell with being locked under a metal dome and all. Lightning grinned as she took a sip of her hot beverage, surprised that her luck for once was a good thing. The city's heating system called the quits and died the month prior, hence the freezing cold weather they were having and not a week later the capital called out for reinforcements. Lightning was all too happy to see her name at the top of the list, although.. With a sigh she looked up to her younger sister who was smiling at her, her words falling deaf on the soldiers ears who nodded and pretended to be listening.  
"Claire! Urgh!" Serah pouted and leant over, her scowl intensifying as she gripped Lightning's cheek. "Are you even listening to me?"  
"Mpf." Lightning replied, her face still awkwardly pulled to one side.  
Not releasing her cheek, Serah huffed and glared at her older sister. "I said Claire, to be careful and come back in one piece okay? Don't be too stubborn and don't get in fights."  
Lightning pried her cheek free and scowled back at her sister, stubborn? Lightning? She wasn't that stubborn, half as stubborn as Serah that's for sure, not that she'd mention it to her, again. "Serah I'm a soldier. I can't go getting pushed around by every soldier who thinks they're better than me."  
"BETTER THAN YOU?!" Serah shouted in disbelief, earning a few looks and a lonesome chuckle from the other soldiers sitting around the train station. "Lightning anyone so much as looks at you strange and you go straight to punchy punchy stabby stabby. Remember Snow, the bakers' apprentice?"  
Lightning shivered at the mention of the idiot, hoping to never remember him if she could help it. she couldn't when Serah was all too determined to have Lightning get along with that dumb oaf. It didn't however mean she couldn't still hope. "I... he.." Lightning fumbled for words, she'd learnt that arguing with her younger sister was like navigating a minefield while blindfolded. "He grabbed my ass." Lightning said sternly and crossed her arms.  
"He was drunk and thought you were me. He apologised for like a month." Serah threw her arms in the air as if summoning some manner of spirit to back her up. "He baked us bread for a month."  
Lightning conceded victory, he did after all bring them bread for a month. The good stuff too that annoying idiot, not the stale loaves the ration office handed out either. "And I didn't punch him for a month."  
"No you just death glared him away. Jeez how am I supposed to pick up a guy with lurking over my shoulder every moment." Serah pouted and leant back in her chair.  
"It's not my fault if they can't stand up to my standards." Lightning mumbled and to her surprise the younger Farron gripped her fork and brandished it at her.  
"No one can stand up to your standards Claire! Do you want me to marry a behemoth?"  
Lightning snickered and cursed herself for laughing at the thought of the poor behemoth at her sister's mercy.  
"So how long will you be gone?"  
Lightning's focus turned back to the much more dangerous of the two. "A month or so."  
Serah threw back her coffee and quickly drank it all before beaming a smile at Lightning. "Well then I want plenty of souvenirs, snacks too." Serah said finally getting to the most important topic of the conversation. "The capital is bound to have the good stuff so don't cheap out on me Claire."  
"There we go. You know Serah you could at least pretend to be concerned about me." Lightning stabbed at her sister's lack of concern. "What a cold cruel world, I've been replaced by that walking loaf of bread."  
Serah huffed and shook her head. Sometimes Lightning could just be so.. "Claire I know better than most you can hold your own. Plus you wouldn't leave your innocent little sister all alone with the big bad Snow would you?"  
Lightning shuddered, innocent and little weren't the words Lightning would have chosen. More like horrifying and yet somehow cute, but Serah was right. Even if Lighting had to fight a pack of behemoths off with a pocketknife she'd manage and beat the hell out of Snow before he proposed to her little sister. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. Unless you accidentally shoot Snow with your bow." Lightning perked up at the thought. Actually that wouldn't be too bad, given her sister was anything but intimidating too she could easily pass it off as self defence. Or not. Lightning quickly changed her mind at the sight of the look Serah was giving her. Dropping the attempt to visually bore ' don't kill snow' into her sister, Serah's deep blue eyes glimmered with an even more terrifying realisation. "Wait I get your coffee rations while you're gone."  
Putting on her best older sister tone, Lightning spoke. "Fine but no Snow."  
Serah pouted at her sister, she had cards up her sleeve. "Fine! What about Jihl?"  
Lightning reddened at the mention of the blonde and quickly buried her hands in her jacket. "What about her?" Lightning said trying her best to hide her disappointment. Unfortunately news had spread earlier that week of Jihl's division being deployed, sending her far away from the capital for the duration of Lightning's stay, and with her went Lightning's plans to see her since she'd left Bodhum. "She won't be there, she got deployed this month remember." Lightning let out a deflated sigh and with a tad more feeling then she'd intended. It had been after all the highlight of travelling to capital, finally a chance for revenge at Jihl for pouring her heart out to her and then skipping town a week later. Lightning tensed her fist, earning a concerned look from Serah who all too knew that look, Snow did too. Lightning was going to punch something. She was going to punch something that would regret ever getting on the bad side of the older Farron.

A guard walked to the centre of the platform and sounded a bell over his head, shouting as he called for passengers. The black cap on his balding head bore a silver train shaped badge pinned to the front, signifying his post as a stationmaster in the second of the three great legions, his being the Railroad. "The train bound for the Palumpolum is now departing. Anyone heading to Palumpolum, this is your last call."  
Serah shot to her feet and threw her arms around Lightning before she could manage to escape to the train. "Hold it, you're getting a month worth of hugs."  
"More like a month of torture." Lightning mumbled and squirmed to try and free herself, however futile it may be. Sadly she was powerless to her sister's assault, and powerless to really try. Despite her outward expression of discomfort, Lightning was quite fond of Serah's hugs. Serah knew it too.  
"Aww embarrassed? Claire you know I'll stop if you let me see Snow for breakfast."  
"I'm going to miss my train." Lightning complained. After a silent minute of awkward looks from the other Guardian Corp soldiers, Lightning caved. "Fine but only for lunch and I don't want him staying at our place."  
Serah giggled and kissed Lightning on the cheek, she'd won before she even asked. If Lightning really hated snow then he would have just disappeared to another city and Lightning would have found way to make it legally happen. "Claire you're the best! Don't forget snacks."  
Regaining as much dignity as she could, Lightning grabbed her things and hurried before she actually missed her train.

Lightning stowed her bag in the overhead compartment and seated her rifle in the chair next to hers. Her usual cold demeanour scaring away anyone courageous enough to try and occupy a seat next to her. Sitting down she looked out the window to Serah who was waving at her. Lightning smiled and waved back. With a final whistle blow the staion master jumped on the train which began with black plumes of smoke that sailed into the air. Giant gates of scrap iron opened with the distant shouts of 'heave, ho!' from the men working the giant cranks and pulleys that allowed them to rapidly manoeuvre the hundred ton masses of metal. The labourers leant against the wall and watched from the top of the three hundred foot walls as the train hurried off into the wasteland with the two hundred of Bodhum's finest soldiers packed inside. "All right boys get this thing shut." One of the men shouted and the labourers complained as they lumbered back to the cranks. 

Lightning pursed her lips as she looked back to Mega City Seven: Designation Bodhum and everything she had ever known. It was all disappearing into the distance and the thought of ever reaching home crossed her mind more than once. Curiosity had her begging to know, had Jihl shared the same fears when she'd skipped town? Turning a lighter over in her hands, Lightning let her consciousness escape from the confines of the train. Lightning had served under Jihl back when the woman commanded a unit in the Guardian Corp and she knew the blonde well. In fact she was one of the fewer people that had the chance to know Jihl better than well. Not that Lightning was overly proud of dragging her drunk captain through town with the woman verbally declaring her love of Lightning's assets to the whole town. Lightning snapped the lighter shut. With a deep breath she repressed the bubbly feelings back down underneath her glare. Rising from her seat she quickly strode passed the soldiers standing in the aisle and to the back of the train. Throwing open the door she filled her lungs with fresh air, or well as fresh as air could get in the remains of the Cocoonian Wasteland. Taking a cigarette in her fingers Lightning shut her eyes and smiled. Envisioning the flowing blonde hair of the woman she remembered. "Jihl, I'm going to kick your ass." Lightning snarled and fumbled angrily with her lighter. Stupid blonde idiot, worse than Snow.

"Achooo!' Jihl Nabaat sneezed. Wiping her nose with her glove she wore a troubled expression that caught the attention of her right hand. Lebreau cocked a brow as she looked to

Jihl. "Ma'am are you okay? You haven't caught a cold just before our big battle have you?" Lebreau's said in her usual cheery tone, hiding the sinister smile underneath. Lebreau had developed a somewhat experimental cure to the cold just in times for this, unfortunately it was more of a preventive then a cure as the sick rates of the troops plummeted rapidly afterwards. Her captain falling ill just before they were to storm the city was the last thing they needed, it would just top off the terrible week she was already having. First it had been a tunnel collapse that hard pushed their expedition behind schedule. Then an ambush by bandits in the Gapra Whitewood. The worst of it all was the fact that the rare liquor that only went on sale every three years arrived last week and it barely touched the store shelves before it was sold out, hopefully a certain bartender had acquired some for her. With a pout and a frown, she turned her concern back to Jihl.  
Jihl shook her head and gave Lebreau a reassuring smile. "No. I highly doubt it. It's probably just Lightning talking about me again."  
"Ah I see." Lebreau nodded, not hiding her distaste for this Lightning woman. She was a colossal pain in the backside, doubly more so than the colossal walls ahead of them. Whenever her name was mentioned things got complicated. "Megacity two ma'am. Apparently impenetrable."  
"The bandits found a way and so shall we." Jihl unveiled the cold green eyes from behind her glasses. Her mind already deep in thought as she looked over her troops to the smouldering ruins of the city. Closing her hand around the pendant hanging from her neck, a finger traced along the lightning bolt as her thoughts turned back to Lightning. If she had been counting days right then Lightning should be on route to the capital. Jihl tightened her resolve and raised a hand towards the city. "Men we're gonna take this city by nightfall!" 

"Hey Cutie. Another beer?" Tifa said despite already filling a glass with beer. Lightning nodded and without a word took a seat at the woman's bar. It was homey and Lightning found the break from the hustle and bustle and sheer insanity of the capital a welcome retreat. Reaching into her pocket she put the the coins for the drink on the bar and began to unwind. Tifa slid the beer in front of the soldier that had been visiting her bar every day for the last two weeks and stared at her. It was her rule to know everyone that set foot in her bar and this one was no different. "So Guardian Corp, how's the city?" Silence. Tifa bit her lip and frowned, trailing off to a talking customer yet keeping the woman in her mind. Tifa lockhart didn't give up easy or else she wasn't the best damn bartender on Cocoon. Tifa liked to consider she was.

"You know there's nothing better than ending a long day with a cold one."

Lightning's ears peaked up and her gaze rose from her beer. She knew the voice that followed the sound of boots across the wood floor towards her. It was annoying and deserved a good punching.

Jihl hurried over and dumped her things next to the seat beside Lightning, unable to contain the excitement that spilled across her face. "Hi."

The woman following Jihl split off and took a seat at the other end of the bar, sharing a kiss with the bartender who stopped and gave the woman all her attention.

"Okay?" Jihl said and sat down beside Lightning. "I thought you'd be happier to see me. I know I'm happy to see you. You look good, even with your uniform on."

Lightning clenched her fist and fought off the urge to turn and deck the woman, she damn well deserved it. With a long exhale she took a sip of her beer. Turning to Jihl, Lightning had the deadliest Farron death glare to date. If the laws of physics hadn't prevented it then the very air would have turned cold and fled out the door. Lebreau narrowed her eyes at the woman, uncomfortable from the wave of trouble emanating from her.

"Jihl, why did you kiss me back then?"

The blonde kept stirring her drink. "Because Cl... Lightning, I'm selfish." Jihl smiled at the puzzled and bear mangling look she got from Lightning. "I couldn't have anyone snatching you up while I was away now could I?"

"That's bullshit! You kiss me and then nothing at all. You could have said something, anything. You had months just to write me a letter."

Jihl gulped and snarled back. "Well I couldn't find the right words okay and I, I was scared too." Jihl whispered the last part and started stirring her drink again. "I was afraid that you wouldn't want me all the way over here."

"No. I wanted you to stay beside me. But you left me didn't you." Lightning pulled Jihl back from her drink and punched her. The blow sending the blonde staggering back over her chair. In a flash Jihl grabbed Lebreau. The brunette's overly happy aura was lacking from the woman who was now just short of putting a sword through Lightning's throat.

"Lebreau it's fine." Jihl reassured Lebreau as she got back on her feet. Rubbing her arm Jihl winced at the pain, more for theatrics than any actual damage sustained. "I had that one coming. Lebreau it's fine, go calm Tifa down before she throws us all out." Jihl chuckled and shooed the woman away. She couldn't make amends with Lightning if Lebreau turned her into a pin cushion. Looking to Lightning, Jihl smirked proud of the fact that she could still stand. Which meant that Lightning had either gotten soft or she was still pulling her punches. "Jeez you punch like a marshmallow. Gone soft on me Lightning?" Jihl teased as she closed the distance.

Lightning too busy fumbling between apologising or punching the woman away again to realise her face had gone bright red. Her cheeks flustered as Jihl's face hovered just centimetres from hers. Softly she whispered. "Claire I really did want you all to myself though."

"Idiot. Worse than snow." Lightning mumbled and kept her eyes on the boots.

"Ouch, that actually hurt more than the punch." Jihl frowned at being compared to Snow. "He's not that bad. He wanted to get strong enough to protect Serah so I trained him for months."

Lightning's eyes widened in surprise. "Did he now?"

"Mmm I figured if there was another dumb idiot to protect Serah then I could finally get you to myself for once." Jihl put her arms over Lightning's shoulders without a care for the icy glare Lightning was giving her. "Claire you're the only person I want."

"Stop." Lightning sniffled and managed a feint smile. "You're more embarrassing then Serah."

"Well I do try." Jihl laughed, cut short as Lightning pressed her lips to Jihls. "You forgive me?"

Lightning shook her head. "Not even close."

"Ah." Jihl said as she picked up her bag. "Well then in return let me be your official tour guide to the capital." Jihl grabbed Lightning's hand, her green eyes overflowing with energy.

Grabbing her bag Lightning couldn't help but smile with her. She could probably manage to put up with the idiot for a while without punching her again. She had more than enough experience doing so with Serah and the big loaf of bread around. "So you're the reason I can't kill snow?"

"That's right, I owed Serah a favour."

"For what?" Lightning asked, curious as to what her little sister could offer the killing machine that hummed in front of her.

Jihl winked and put a finger over her mouth. "It's a secret, between girls."

"Hey." Lightning scowl deepened. Offended at the stab at her femininity. "You're one to talk."

"Ahem." Jihl cleared her throat and motioned to the skirt she was wearing, sure it was made of a thick fabric and weaved with hundreds of small armoured scales but it was still a skirt, it counted.

"You know," Jihl poked at Lightning's side. "The capital has the best collection of dress makers in Cocoon."  
"Jihl don't push it."

Lebreau shot Jihl a look that stopped the blonde in her tracks. "You gonna tell her ma'am?"

Jihl shook her head, it had slipped her mind. "Right, I forgot. So Lightning you're not angry with me are you?"

That was a hard question to answer. If Lightning was giving it value then it was definitely decreasing, albeit slowly. "Why?"

Jihl took a deep breath and gave Lightning the most uneasy reassuring smile she'd seen. "So we found some ancient transport jets in Mega City Two and well I might have put your name forward for an expedition to Eden, it was an accident I swear." Jihl winced for the next punch, that landed softly on her cheek, and could hardly be called a punch.

Lightning rolled her eyes. "You're both screwing with me right?"

Lebreau shook her head. "Nope the idiot's right for once. It's why we requested the Guardian Corp be brought on station here."

Jihl nodded enthusiastically and backed up against the bar. "It's why yes, not just because it was an excuse to see you again. Ahem but they wanted a group to set up a forward operating base and scout the planet and you're the fastest, meanest, and sexiest thing on two legs." Jihl eyes darted around as if the words to save her were scrawled in the bar. "And I got to see you again." Jihl mewled the last bit as adorably as a box of kittens in the rain.

Lightning crossed her arms. "So how long until you get rid of me forever?"

"You mean fly you to the moon?" Jihl corrected her. "A month."


	2. Chapter 2

Eden in the Sky Chapter 2

* * *

A month passed quickly in the warm weather and sunshine of the capital, quicker than Lightning would have ever thought possible while back in Bodhum. Worst of all in the blur of days, she struggled to keep her guard up, Jihl even managing to catch her unaware a few times. The blonde had given Lightning all the time she could spare from her duties, which wasn't hard when she had convinced Lightning to take her up on the offer of privacy and warm baths that her apartment offered. Cursing herself for being so soft when it came to the blonde, Lightning sipped at her tea annoyed that Jihl had wormed her way back into her heart as easily as she had. So much for the legendary soldier of the guardian corp... Lightning scoffed as she peered out of the small rectangular window that gave her a view of the city and its mesmerising sea of coloured rooftops. Taking a sip of the tea in her hand, her body relaxed gently against the wall behind her. It had taken some getting used to, staying with Jihl that was. Lightning had come to admire more than the woman's strength and leadership during their last relationship but despite their close encounters the two had never shared a room before and thank god. Lightning thought to herself as she brought a hand to her back and pressed out the cramps from having camped out on the couch for a month. Jihl's couch had to be the most uncomfortable couch in existence.  
Despite back pains and all, it had been admittedly enjoyable, working with friends and then hitting up Tifa's bar afterwards. Right... Lightning shoulders sagged at the thought of the cheerful bartender. That brought her to the next thing that was nagging her. It hadn't even taken Tifa a week to pull all the information out of her, by some manner of magic, or maybe Tifa was spiking her drinks but Lightning had at some point just opened herself up to her. Now the two women would look like old friends if you ever saw them. Serah, Bodhum and hell even her tussles with Jihl. Thankfully spilling her guts to Tifa, meant that Lightning no longer had to deal with Lebreau, Jihl's right-hand woman, trying to gut her whenever she had the chance. The bartender couldn't have her new favourite customer killed by her girlfriend after all.

Lightning's eyes lifted from the swirling beverage in her hands to Jihl who stepped through and stretched her arms over her head. "Morning." Jihl yawned.  
"Good morning." Lightning said and stared at Jihl for a moment. Red roses forming on her cheeks and Jihl scoffed as turned to get herself a tea.  
"Lightning, what is there something on my face?" Jihl asked as she came over, sitting beside Lightning on the window still.  
"N-no I was just... looking." Lightning said and took in Jihl at a closer range. The blonde had her soft green eyes sitting behind a pair of thin-framed glasses. Her skin was pale despite the overwhelming presence of the sun that Lightning was still getting used to.  
She said nothing this time, enjoying being spoilt by cerulean eyes. Jihl watched Lightning groan and rubbed her back.."I offered you the bed."  
"With you still in it. Jihl I can't. It's just-" Lightning shook her head.  
It's fine." Jihl cut in before Lightning started rambling, it was cute and she was still tired, slightly hungover from last night too. Who knows what dumb idea Jihl might act on. "Lightning I understand. Besides why do you think I let you sleep on the couch anyway? You'll come to me eventually. I mean all of this..." Jihl motioned to her body, barely covered by the loose tank top and boxer shorts she was wearing. Jihl laughed at the flustered look Lightning was giving the cup of tea nestled in her crotch. "Eyes up here Lightning."  
"Jihl-" Lightning puffed up her cheeks and glared at the woman sitting across from her. "Why do you do this to me, and I mean all of this? The tea, the apartment, the clothes..."  
Jihl sat her tea down and grabbed her cigarettes. Putting one in her mouth. "Lightning it's because out all of the shitty people I know, of all the shitty people that I've seen die, you're not one of them. You're the only one I can't stand losing." Jihl sat her cigarette down and leaned closer to Lightning. "Lightning I'm doing this because I love you." Jihl whispered softly, her heart skipped a beat with Lightning's lips were just inches from hers.  
"Jihl I..." Lightning frowned. Jihl bit her lip and leaned back, taking up her cigarette again.  
Jihl stood up and shook her head. "Sorry Lightning, I'm just getting ahead of myself like always huh." Jihl managed a laugh despite having her feelings crushed. Moving away from the window, she disappeared into her bedroom, coming out a moment later dressed in her uniform. "I got some things I need to take care of so make sure to eat something okay. There's bacon and eggs in the fridge." Jihl didn't even bother to wave goodbye to Lightning, she just hurried out the door.

Lightning slammed her cup down and turned to chase after Jihl, not caring for the hot tea that splashed over her legs. But it was too late, the door might as well have been a million miles away by the time she reached it. Lightning slumped down beside it and cursed herself for letting Jihl go. Ever since Lightning arrived in the capital, she was all Jihl seemed to care about. Even when Lebreau had insisted that Lightning was nothing more than a pain in the ass and that she should be left in an alley somewhere. Jihl had just smiled and shrugged it off, insisting that Lightning was twice the bad-ass that the rumours made her out to be and then invited to stay at her place. Yet despite all the woman's best efforts, whenever she tried to get close, to fix the whole between them, Lightning pushed her away. She didn't even want to push it away, it was like this fear snuck up and strangled her every time Jihl got close. Grabbing her jacket, Lightning groaned and stormed out the door.

Pushing through the doors of Tifa's bar, Lightning looked around and sighed at the lack of Jihl. She had hoped to catch her here and in a big ball of embarrassment tell her that she loved and her crap, that she just didn't know how to say it back. But instead, however, she just let her emotions drag her down as she dragged herself over to the bar. Lebreau looked up from swirling the ice in her drink and then to Tifa who stepped out from the back. "Babe, wanna take care of that?" Lebreau turned her head in Lightning's direction to the soldier who was currently burying her face in her arms.  
"Hey Lightning." Tifa said with a cheer that nearly rose Lightning up from her gloom. Turning around, Tifa poured a cup of coffee and sat it down beside Lightning. "You know if you keep scaring off my customers I'll have to start charging you an entry fee." Tifa joked, her smile widening as Lightning rose her head at the smell of coffee.  
"Sorry it's just Jihl and I'm the biggest idiot in the capital right now." Lightning groaned and looked to Tifa who was casually leaning against the bar as she listening. "Aren't I?"  
"Well I mean if the legendary Lightning let every woman who had the hots for her in her pants willy-nilly she'd be famous for something else wouldn't she?" Tifa asked and sipped at her own coffee.  
Lightning just shook her head, that legend was ridiculous. It had grown from slightly exaggerated to insanely blown out of proportion by the time her team had made it back to the gates. "I had help killing that behemoth and it wasn't just my knife either."  
"Oh?" Tifa raised a brow, this was new.  
"Yeah. There were twelve of us all armed with rifles and handguns. We put every bullet we had into the damn thing and I just was the one dumb enough to get close and finish it off." Lightning huffed and rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to be more like Jihl."  
"Heh please don't." Tifa shuddered and glared at Lightning. "One drunken blonde who can't handle her alcohol puking in my bathroom every Saturday is enough for me."  
"Got it." Lightning puffed up her chest and looked at Tifa. "So it's Jihl right, she's so caring and soft and stupid and she wants to get close but I dunno I get... scared when she does."  
"Right." Tifa pushed herself off the bar and leant down to Lightning. "Did I ever tell you how I met Lebreau?"  
Lightning shook her head and gave Tifa her attention.  
"So I had just come to the capital, eager to start my new life as a bar owner, all I had to do was purchase the right permits and done." Tifa folder over onto the bar and groaned. "But I got lost and then ran into some thugs. I would have lost everything but Lebreau showed up and kicked their asses."  
"Oh no, Tifa don't tell that story..." Lebreau frowned at her from the other side of the bar, small pink blossoms forming on her cheeks. "It's embarrassing as hell."  
"It's not that bad 'Breau, plus it's to help Lightning."

"Fine I'm gonna go have a smoke then." Lebreau stood up and hurried outside where she couldn't hear Tifa.

"So she stared me down like she was gonna rob me and now I'm terrified, shaking in my boots but then she gives me the most awkward smile like you'd think she'd never smiled in her life and she asked me to lunch. Lebreau actually helped with all of this. I owe her everything, if it wasn't for her I couldn't have done any of this. So one day when we getting lunch she just straight up tells me how she loved me. I never felt more terrified than that moment when her lips held mine. The point Lightning is that it's fine to be afraid, you're stepping into something unknown and I'm guessing something new for you. Things will change Lightning but change isn't always bad, it can be sweet, caring and at times the worst feeling that keeps you up all night staring at the door hoping that she comes through it. But if it stays the same then I'd just be alone and broke and stuck in the capital right now."

Lightning nearly jumped out of her seat when the sky roared like a mighty behemoth, crackling with thunder and the promise of rain. Tifa laughed as Lightning gotup from her seat and headed to the door, poking out and grinning at the rain. Bodhum didn't have the benefit of weather, the city had neither the forces or the luxury to afford an open-air city with all the monsters flying around. The capital was different however. The last month in comparison to her time in her home city was paradise. Markets filled with fresh food from the abundance of farms and mills that encircled the city. Lush sprawling green harvests all year round that was patrolled by hundreds of guards every day, not to include the countless soldiers on top of the walls. Then there was all the greenery scattered around the city, it was good to finally know where all the water reserves were going. Putting her grumbling aside, Lightning closed her eyes and let herself drown in the pitter patter of rain on the cobbles in front of her.  
"What? Never seen rain before?" Lebreau's asked, her cold eyes watched her from the other side of the door where she stood.  
Lightning shook her head and only risked a sweeping glance over the officer before she turned back to the rain in front of her. "I haven't. Bodhum lives under a dome." Her eyes widened in surprise at the packet of cigarette's Lebreau was holding out to her. Rolling her eyes at the hesitation that Lightning showed.  
"They're not poisoned, I promise." Lebreau scoffed and lit the cigarette between her lips to prove her point. "You want one?"  
"Ah sure, thanks." Lightning said and took one, leaning in so Lebreau could light the cancer stick between her lips.  
"Hey Lightning how do you do it? Be so tough while living with the captain?" Lebreau asked and raised a brow as Lightning nearly double over as she laughed.  
Taking a cigarette in her hand, Lightning shot Lebreau a look of disbelief "You're asking me about being tough? I just try to handle it and stay as strong as I can. I got people to look out for back home. You're the ones going and taking cities overnight."  
Lebreau let a laugh slip out before she turned away. "That makes us crazy not tough. What I meant to ask was how do you deal with the fear? I mean there's always been a way back. I could always someway get back to Tifa but now we're flying to another world and if shit hits the fan then there's no way back." Lebreau smiled. "Guess you're lucky that Jihl's coming too."  
"Lucky, right." Lightning groaned. "She makes me feel like crap whenever I'm around her. I wish she wouldn't be so damn... so damn warm all the time you know? She knows that I can't return her feelings either and Lebreau, I can't deal with the fear at all."

Tifa broke the melancholy mood with her usual aura of cheer and tugging of cheeks, mainly Lebreau as she hadn't yet moved to hug Lightning yet. "Hey you two stop being so down, you're scaring away all my customers. 'Breau babe I made you a tea. Come inside when you're done being a gloomy little lesbian okay?"  
"I'm hardly gloomy. A lesbian however..." Lebreau's cheeks went red as she kissed Tifa. "I won't be long."  
Tifa grinned and nodded, not shy about showing her own blushes. "Any friend of 'Breau's is a friend of mine, unfortunately."  
Lebreau sunk into her shoulders and glared at Tifa. "What? Tifa, since when were we friends?"  
Tifa crossed her arms and counter with a cocky grin. "The moment I liked her. Oh and because while you were away 'Breau, I managed to pick up a certain bottle of spiced rum. I mean I went to the trouble of standing in line for six hours! Six hours just to get rum I can't charge my customers for. I even had to close my bar for the day, well what a shame."  
"Right well then if that's the case, we're best friends aren't we Lightning?" Lebreau said nervously and eyed Lightning, practically begging her to say yes.  
"Yeah, sure." Lightning nodded, doing her best to hide her own blushes.  
"Oh by the way we're having dinner here tonight, do you want to join us?" Tifa gave Lightning her signature smile as Lightning fell back against the wall.  
"Is that even a question?" Lightning asked, knowing that Tifa rarely asked.  
Tifa shook her head. "Nope, people just prefer it when I ask. Oh and 'Breau I guess you should invite Jihl if Lightning's coming. I mean only if you really want to." Tifa shuddered and mumbled to herself. "Better get the cleaning stuff organised now then."

Lightning sat down at the bar and sipped at her lukewarm coffee. Looking up she watched Lebreau follow Tifa out back to the kitchen, leaving her all alone in the bar. The bar doors swung open and Lightning looked up to the blonde now standing in the door. The woman frowned as she wrung out her hair and cursed under her breath. Looking up, a smile tugged at her lips and she adjusted her glasses. Lightning smiled and waved, to her surprise Jihl let her wet hair fall down her back and strut over. "Jihl."  
" Hey you. So what's this about you thinking I'm wonderfully caring and soft and stupid?" Jihl grinned cockily as she stripped out of her wet jacket.  
"Uhh..." Lightning groaned as she sunk down to the bar. "She told you everything?"  
Jihl nodded. "Mhmm. It's fine, actually I'm really happy. I was, afraid, after this morning..." Jihl trailed off as her heels clicked across the floor, her face dissolving into of worry. "I didn't think you'd want to see me."  
Lightning shot up and stared at Jihl. "Jihl I'm sorry it's just I'm not good with feelings. I didn't... don't know how to react to it."  
"Well I can show you if you want." Jihl's heart fluttered at the nod Lightning gave her. Stepping past personal boundaries, Jihl put her hands in Lightning's. With a happy grin tugging at her lips she leant closer. "Something like this is usually a good start." Jihl whispered and pressed against Lightning's lips. Lightning pushed her lips back against her and moaned softly. Jihl giggled, making their kiss all the more awkward as she moved Lightning's other hand down to her waist. "- and hold here."  
Lightning responded with a groan as Jihl pulled her closer and leant her down over the bar, her wet blonde hair draping down over her sides. "Jihl..." Lightning bit her lip and looked to Jihl who stopped.  
"Sorry I guess I-"  
Lightning shook her head and cut her off. "No it's... " Lightning's face went bright red. "Tifa's looking." Lightning looked over to the bartender who was just glaring at them.

"Ahem! Jihl, Lightning!" Tifa looked at the women with plates of food in her hand, Lebreau emerging a moment later and whistled. Tifa turned her glare to Lebreau who whimpered and played coy. "Please don't encourage them 'Breau."  
"They're just being cute, besides it's a little hot right?" Lebreau said and sat the food down.  
Tifa puffed up her cheeks and whined. "Fine it is kinda hot but drinks go on there!" Lebreau just laughed and sat the food down.  
Lebreau bit her lip and put her arms around Tifa's waist. "Right, you're just jealous that I'm not leaning you-"  
Tifa grabbed Lebreau's hands and frowned. "I'm surrounded by idiots, horny idiots! You're getting yours later. Now can you stop this so we can eat?"  
"Kinda of a shame but alright. I guess the food is going cold." Lebreau shook her head and grabbed a glass filled with ice. An evil smile shadowing her face as she stepped over to Jihl.

Jihl turned as she opened the door, stumbling back in surprise as she fell back into the couch. Lightning's hand gripped her jacket and pulled their lips together. Sitting up straight, she let Jihl catch her breath. Lightning looked at her current position on top of Jihl on the couch with blushes as bright pink as her hair, Lightning frowned despite trying to remain collected. "Sorry I... I don't know what's wrong with me." Lightning cursed and couldn't stop her hands from helping Jihl out of her jacket.  
Jihl shook her head and chuckled. "Lightning's there's nothing wrong with you. You're just a sexually repressed twenty-six year old."  
"I... right." Lightning hung her head, slightly ashamed that she'd clung to Jihl all the way back to her apartment.  
"So I guess dinner was different huh? Who knew I'd be eating you right?" Jihl chuckled and soaked up the addition of a slight scowl on Lightning's face.  
"Jihl..." Lightning scowled, preferring not to be reminded of the awkwardness that clouded over dinner after Lightning and Jihl's little moment.  
Jihl laughed and took Lightning's hands, pulling her down and kissed her, this time with a bit more practice. "There's nothing to apologise for Lightning, I was the one who kissed you. Well except for choosing the couch, I mean that's just evil."  
Lightning didn't fight back the laugh as she manoeuvred off the woman and led her towards the bedroom. "Well then, is that bed still available?"  
"You know it comes with me in it?" Jihl cocked a brow at the change in Lightning's attitude, it was like back in the guardian corp, so full of bravery and courage all though there was now there was less grunts and glares and more kissing and Jihl definitely preferred kissing.  
"I wouldn't want it any other way." Lightning answered and pinned the blonde to the bedroom door, her mouth pressing for more of the woman's intoxicating aroma as she searched for the door handle, meanwhile Jihl's hands were already at Lightning's belt, pulling the straps that kept her pants on.  
"You really went from alley cat to horny kitty pretty quick." Jihl chuckled and helped Lightning with the door, stumbling back and tumbling into the bed.  
Lightning frowned and clawed at her chest. "I can't help it, there are these urges that.."  
"Pfft! Lightning, it's called being horny. But I can help with that." Jihl smiled and ran a finger down Lightning's shirt. "But first..."  
CLICK!  
Lightning eyed the handcuffs now keeping her locked up to the bed. "Jihl? Handcuffs really?"  
Jihl nodded. "Well I wouldn't want to let you get away now would I? Tonight you're all mine." Jihl said dominantly and leant down, tracing her finger over her lips. "That's if you're okay with that of course." Jihl asked softly, breaking her character for a moment.  
Lightning kissed her and smiled. "Then I guess you're all mine tonight too."  
"Ooh I like that. Now the safe word is Sunshine." Jihl whispered and began unbuttoning Lightning's shirt.  
"Safe word?" Lightning looked at Jihl dumbfounded.  
"For heaven's sake woman have you never read porn?" Jihl stopped to glare at Lightning.  
"Nope."

* * *

 **A/N: So... I wrote some dirty fluff, sorry not sorry. Oh and regarding that we're two chapters in and still no Fang well worry not she'll appear soonish I promise. Just gotta set up an awkward love triangle y'know**.


	3. Chapter 3

Eden chapter 3

* * *

Lightning gasped as she shot awake, a burning pain raged in her lower half. With heavy breaths, she dragged herself off of her bleeding stomach and laid against the wall behind her. Everything spun as she looked around her surroundings. The light of the full moon and the sea of fire beyond the forest was enough to light up the cave for Lightning to see, not that she really wanted to see. Her legs were red and bloodied, whatever wounds she had there were covered by her pants. As her head settled it all started coming back to her, the expedition, the camp. The mission was going well, they touched down without a problem and it was beyond words. Clean blue skies, a forest of trees a short distance from their landing spot and the green. Lightning couldn't believe how much green there was, it rolled on forever. Everyone had been stunned by just how breathtaking Pulse was. Seeing it from the sky and then landing on it, taking it up to your knees, it was like she'd died and gone to heaven. Or more like Hell, Lightning shivered in horror of the memory of those masks, those terrifying blue masks with large black circles for eyes that the tribals wore when they attacked in the night. Whatever they were, they weren't human. How else could Lightning explain what she had seen. She repressed another shiver and forced herself out of her mind. Looking out over the forest, she could see the burning remains of her camp. It was burning red and billowing clouds of smoke into the night sky. Hopefully Jihl had been able to scramble the ships and get away in time.

"Everything is gonna be fine." She muttered to herself. Covering her mouth, she tried to keep herself from discharging fluid that she'd rather hold onto. The sudden wave of pain crashing over her however had other plans, and in a sharp cry of pain she leant over and vomited. Trying to keep it off herself was harder than she would have thought, especially when her arm gave out. Lightning shuddered and looked at her arm, the bone was probably not supposed to bend that way.  
Lightning chuckled and winced at the pain was only made worse by the laughter. With the arm that wasn't sticking out the wrong way, she managed to push herself back up into a much more comfortable position. Casting her eyes around the cave once more for any intruders, she sighed in relief. The entrance to the gave was a narrow, tight shuffle along a steep drop about twenty feet up or so, and hopefully that was enough to deter the tribals at least for the night, or whatever beasts would be roaming the plains once the fires died down. With the sense of relief at her hiding spot, Lightning reached down and began unbuckling her armour she was wearing. It hadn't helped any of her fallen comrades anyway.

Taking a moment to count her toes, Lightning grinned and wiggled all ten of them "Glad to know they're all still there." She said and reached down to her belt and quickly unbuckling it wasting no time in hurrying to treat her injuries. She regretted as it dawned on her just how cold the cave was. The cave being a cave and all meant that it was freezing cold with her clothes on and it was only getting worse with the more she took off. Unfortunately however Lightning couldn't risk bleeding out in the night, and considering the dislocated arm, the splotches of blood everywhere and the growing sting from a gash on her shoulder she doubled down on her determination to get her clothes off. Glaring at her shaking hands, Lightning frowned as they fumbled with the belt keeping her pants secure. The sound of rocks falling pulled her attention from her trousers and towards the entrance. Thankfully Lightning had managed to drag one of her guns up with her.

The tribal warrior shuffled closer to the door and eyed the trail of blood leading up to the cave. The sky person inside was smart, once her people left the tainted land then the animals would come to clean up whatever was left, but not in a cave and not a cave so annoyingly placed. Taking her mask from her face, the tribal flashed her mask over the entrance, pulling it back as the sky-person inside didn't fire their powder pistol. Flashing their mask again, the warrior tilted her mask, letting it look into the cave for a moment longer before pulling back, still nothing.

Lightning narrowed her eyes down the sights of her gun and stilled her breathing. She wasn't going to be fooled by such a lame trick, the warrior was still there, hunting her like a Gorgonopsid. They still hadn't left and they hadn't risked coming inside which meant they had to know she was in here. Her finger nearly snapped the trigger when the native poked her hand out. Slowly the curved knife that had haunted everyone in the camp for the past couple of days slid across to the floor, stopping just short of Lightning's feet. Next their spear went down, sliding across in a similar fashion. Lightning shivered, afraid. The natives had held onto their weapons, clutching them tight to their bodies even in death. The ones who had lost their weapons turned feral, clawing and biting like animals in desperate attempts to retrieve them. Lightning's eyes lit up as the tribal outside held out a medic bag, the big red cross on its face calling out to Lightning. If it wasn't empty then Lightning could be on her feet by sunrise. The tribal placed it on the ground and kicked it with the intention of sliding it over, instead the box just sounded with a loud clang as the tribal's foot connected with the heavy metal boxes inside. The native cursed again in their language given by their annoyed tone. Slowly they extended their foot out and kicked at it some more, inching it only a little closer because of the heavy equipment inside. With a loud clang, the tribal slammed their foot into the metal container inside and cursed again.  
Lightning chuckled and watched as the tribal came into view. She could see the woman's rump in the doorway. The mass of muscle was barely covered by the flowing blue fabrics of her skirt that they had donned even in combat. The garment showed plenty of the woman's black shorts and long tanned legs that extended down from them. Fighting back the urge to shoot, Lightning let out a short sigh. She could definitely land a hit on the woman's backside but foolishly she still clung to whatever scraps of honour she held even despite being in her current state. It didn't help that the woman had assumingly disarmed herself and brought Lightning first aid supplies, although it was very likely to be a trap.  
Against her gut feeling Lightning let her hand fall and rest on her leg, still gripping the gun tight. The woman had moved her ass out of the doorway leaving Lightning a tad more relieved. Now she just had to get to those supplies without getting caught. The medical supplies however were still far too close to the door for Lightning's liking. To get to them she would have to crawl out from the cosy little corner and out into the open.  
As she pondered her problem over Lightning failed to notice the emerald eyes peering into the cave and getting a good look at a sky person. The tribal's tanned lips tugged into a smirk as she pulled her mask back over her face and hurried back down the path.

The tribal could see her brothers and sisters bringing the mother's fury to the invaders. From the calls and shouts, the sky people's fortress had fallen and the pale-skinned invaders had scattered. Her sandals clacked down the stone pathway as she hurried toward the river just a short distance away. The sky-person's spot was well chosen. The rocks surrounding her and the way the light skewed made it nearly impossible to get a good hit on her with a spear and she could use the rocks to hide as she lined up a shot with the powder pistol at anyone who tried to enter but the trap worked both ways. So if someone were to through sand at you then you could only go one way. The tribal snickered at her ingenious idea and began scooping up handfuls of sand.

Lightning looked to the door, frowning as wet sand hit her feet. "What the hell?" She whispered and looked up to the ceiling in case there a hole in the roof or something, she couldn't see anything in the darkness. The tribal woman cursed her bad aim and trudged back to the river.  
"Sand... Where the hell did sand come from." Lightning mumbled to herself, puzzled. The only explanation she could think of was ridiculous, there was no way the tribals would throw sand at people, not when they had spears unless it was a child, oh god. What if the natives used children? Lightning sat there stuck on the thought of having to choose her life over a child.  
"Klei!" The tribal called out, it was probably the woman from before.  
Lightning huffed. "This again." She muttered and propped her gun up so she was aiming steadily at the door. Her eyes were drawn up to the shimmering light that sparkled overhead, noticing it just too late to look away. SAND! Her eyes stung and she quickly tried to wipe away as much as she could while keeping her gun focused on the door. She fired but missed as the blur of blue and brown moved across the room.  
Lightning rubbed her eyes to try and clear up her vision, but it was too late. Those stupid long legs were already upon her. "Guaggh!" Lightning coughed as a second handful went right into her face. Close enough, Lightning squeezed the trigger, blindly firing with sand in her eyes and her nose and her mouth. The native woman grabbed Lightning's hand and sunk her teeth into the fingers holding the gun. Prying the pistol from Lightning who screamed in agony, the tribal threw it away as hard as she could. In a flash, the tribal buried her knee into Lightning's chest, stopping just short of breaking anything and pressed her hand down over Lightning's who was reaching for the knife strapped to her leg. Reaching down, the woman pulled the knife from its sheath and tossed it to the other side of the room.

Looking at Lightning from behind her blue mask, the tribal sighed in relief at having not been shot except for the slight graze on her thigh. Reaching down to the waterskin tied around her waist the native leant over and poured water over Lightning's face to rinse off the sand.  
"Jaas yen inprea tek, sen hou gep pok et ay." The woman chuckled in her own language and looked at the woman underneath her. The sky person was in no condition to fight but the tribal remained on guard as she removed her knee from the woman's ribs. The sky-person might have been drained but her eyes refused to surrender. The tribal grin further extending as she looked at the mess Lightning was in, she was tougher than most of her brothers that was for certain. Looking over the pale-bodied woman, the tribals's eyes caught on her body, to the cuts on her stomach, abdomen, waist, thighs and shins. In her current state Lightning reminded her of a hunt brought in by the children in her village, covered in cuts and bruises all over yet still kicking, wailing for the killing blow. A mess that she and the other hunters would spend the next hour cleaning up for the night. Rolling her eyes she cursed the Elder for being so stubborn and refusing to have Fang teach them how to hunt, instead the elder insisted the younger hunters Protchep and Maak train them. Maak! Maak barely knew the difference between an adamantoise and an adamantortoise. She understood why of course, she was as a warrior now and no longer a hunter but seeing all that meat go to waste was a shame, especially when the children brought down something really good like a wyvern. When she finally got her knife into it the meat was a butchered mess and it at that only salvageable in a soup.

"Jaas." The woman reached over slowly and brushed Lightning's hair out of her face.  
Lightning bat her hand aside and glared at the woman. "Jaas?" Lightning asked, unsure of what the tribal had just said. The woman shrugged and held out the water skin for Lightning. "Pats."  
Lightning looked at her for a moment and slowly reached out for the flask, her thirst overpowering her caution. "Thanks?" Lightning looked at the woman who stared at her, apparently as clueless about her language as Lightning was.  
"Den." The woman looked at Lightning who stared back at her like a child. "Den." Fang rolled her eyes and gestured for her to drink from the waterskin. "Den, yutsu den."  
"Drink?" Lightning asked although not expecting an answer she took a sip, from what she could taste it was clean water. To a startling surprise, the woman stood up and nodded. "Drink, water." She smiling as Lightning took another mouthful and watched her carefully. It was the first time Lightning had the chance to see one of the natives up close and she was hardly the monster she'd come to know. If she was being honest the tanned woman had a sort of exotic beauty about her. It was also comforting that the woman hadn't even looked for her spear instead she crouched down and pressed her fingers against her chest. "Fang." She said and extended her hand to Lightning.  
Setting the waterskin down Lightning nodded and pointed to herself. "Lightning."  
"Konna Light Ning." Fang looked at Lightning and bit her lip, the cuts on Lightning's legs were still concerning. Slowly reaching over, Fang was about to take Lightning's pants off when the woman glared at her and balled up her hands. Fang quickly retreated, moving her hands back to her own legs where she made the motion of cutting her legs and then stitching the cuts up.  
"Ah, thank you but I'd rather get this taken care of." Lightning said and held out her arm, the bone still sticking out the wrong way. Thankfully the tribal understood and responded with a nod. Shuffling closer, the woman put her hands on Lightning's arm and looked to her before going any further. Lightning gulped and nodded, clenching her teeth so she didn't bite her tongue off. With a crunch and a muffled grunt, Lightning looked in relief at her arm that was now facing the right way. Taking another mouthful of water, huffed and panted, still reeling from the pain in her arm.

Lightning looked passed Fang and pointed at the first aid kit still lying near the entrance. "Can you get the med-kit for me?" After Fang looked at her clueless, Lightning rolled her eyes and made a cross with her fingers and pointed to the bag.  
"Ah." Fang hurried over and grabbed it, rushing it back to Lightning. Setting it down beside Lightning, Fang stepped back and watched her, curious about what was inside the green box.  
Lightning nodded her thanks and turned her focus turned to the first aid kit beside her. Her hands fumbled with the latches on the front for a moment before they snapped back and the lid opened up. The equipment inside was stored in small metal boxes.  
Lightning reached down to her shirt and began unbuttoning it. Thankfully she'd had gotten over other people watching her topless in the guardian corp, other people often came in handy when you had to stitch up bites and scratches.  
Fang however lacked such harrowing experiences and looked away preferring not to watch Lightning as she undressed, instead she struggled to will the blushes away. Back in the village, Fang's preference for women extended back to when she was a teenager. After all, she had spent her teenage years under the care of powerful women in the village, they were apothecaries or huntresses and a warrior once. When she had hit adulthood her preference for women had only grown more intimate, more physical. Her proud nature and the way men eyed her had broken more than a few noses, nearly got herself outcast once too. Fang shook her head at the scolding she got from the older hunters and the Elder. So what if the person she hit just so happened to be the Warrior Chief's son? Looking back Fang sighed in relief as she enjoyed the view of Lightning was now sitting in an olive green baggy tank top and matching boxer shorts. In all honesty despite her ghostly pale skin and ridiculous coloured hair she was rather attractive, more so in her undergarments as she quietly tended to the cuts on her arm, pumping silver foam from the tubes into her wounds with a hiss as it sealed the cuts.

Lightning looked up at Fang, now that she had closed the cuts on her arms she finally noticed the emerald eyes gawking at her. Lightning huffed and kept going with blushes on her cheeks. After all it's not like she could tell Fang to stop, not without an embarrassing series of gestures to explain herself. Setting the needle down on the metal lid, Lightning grabbed the small bottle of antiseptic and one of the wipes and began padding the larger cuts down. Looking up Lightning smiled, at least the native that found her wasn't a giant mass of muscle like the natives she had fought over the past few days. Fang looked pretty much human as far as she could tell. Her eyes turned back to the cut tracing across her chest, a native had taken advantage of the confusion after the garrison and got the jump on Lightning as she pulled back. A curved knife similar to the one Fang had tossed near the entrance of the cave had easily manoeuvred around the breastplate Lightning wore and left her with a shallow cut before she had managed to put him down. Taking the tube of grey paste, Lightning squeezed the rest of it into the cut on her stomach, biting down on her lip, she seethed with pain. "Bandages, burn cream, morphine..." Lightning growled as she emptied the contents of the box beside her as she dug through it. "Fuck! Really?"  
Fang stumbled back as Lightning swore and punched the steel box. Lightning closed her eyes and repeated the word 'fuck' over and over. Reaching over to the tube Fang slowly read the words on the tube and nodded her head. "Anti-septic." Vanille had told her about this stuff, it was the same as the healing paste they used, sort of. Fang had kinda droned out when Vanille went into explaining the specifics and things like chemical formations and appropriate applications. Reaching around to the satchel on her waist, Fang grabbed the pouch of mashed up herbs and offered it to her. "Anti-septic."  
Lightning looked up and took the pouch, eyeing the green paste inside. "Anti-septic?"  
Fang nodded and rubbed two fingers over her legs. "Yes, anti-septic."  
"You can speak English? Holy shit, you can speak English?" Lightning's hopes dimmed as Fang cocked a brow at the slur of words.  
"Towvu vom yustera. Ongoa ayen numo vom. Sister little teach." It was something at least...  
Lightning cooed at the feeling of Fang's anti-septic as she administered it across her legs. Unlike the stuff she was supplied from the grey tubes that burnt and hissed violently. The tribal's anti-septic was soothing and cold, really cold. Her chest and arms might still have been burning from her anti-septic but at least her legs were now pleasantly numbed.

With her legs all patched up and her not bleeding all over the cave floor, Lightning put the kit back together and buckled it back up. Not wanting to wear her bloodied T-shrit Lightning opted for pulling her jacket around her as tight as possible. Lightning smiled from underneath, she was a lot calmer now that she was all patched up. Tomorrow she'd have to push herself onto her feet and go outside again, look for the other survivors, look for Jihl. "Fang?" Lightning looked to over to the tribal who was standing guard the entrance of the cave. Fang's ears picked up the familiar sound of the war-horn signalling the end of the hunt, it was good for Lightning, she could rest easy without the fear of hunters, and Fang could rest easier too. Her brothers were abandoning the hunt until morning, leaving the sky people to the mother's beasts. Casting a look over her should, Fang knew she should really just stab Lightning and play it safe, she'd crossed the Elder enough times to be threatened with exile once and she knew that the Elder hated the sky people with every fibre of her being. To not anger the Elder and the mother further by allowing the intruded to corrupt the ground where she stood, that's what she was taught in the village. Fang bit her lip as she looked at Lightning, a broken woman, a broken warrior. She wasn't the demon's that Fang had painted her face that morning to look like the D'noak to send fear as she stalked them.  
"Fang?" Lightning shifted a little and looked over to her, concern growing from the hollow look on Fang's face.  
Fang rose to her feet, mumbling something in her language as she thoughtlessly picked up her dagger and spear, causing Lightning to tense up and reach out for a fist-sized rock just in case Fang had a change of heart of keeping her enemy alive. Thankfully for her Fang looked back with wide eyes and then dropped to her weapons. Of course Lightning would think she was going to kill her, shaking her head Fang quickly sat her spear and dagger neatly beside the door. Just to be safe she grabbed Lightning's things and carried them back to her. "Up hatuoku voo. I no harm." Fang said as she smiled kindly and handed Lightning her weapons.  
Lightning looked at Fang as she sat them down beside her. The call of the war horn drew Fang's attention back to the entrance again. The gates would be shutting soon and the monsters would come out during the night. It was a shame she had to leave Lightning alone here and even more so she couldn't remember the English to tell her more about the mother's creatures, yet it should be fine given the fact that most monsters would rather tear each other apart then navigate a narrow cliff face to get its meal, especially one as scrawny as Lightning. "Bad, sunrise good?" Fang scrunched up her face and looked to Lightning.  
"Bad, sunrise good..." Lightning thought to herself for a moment in an attempt to decipher the tribal's words. "Wait till sunrise?"  
"Hmm... yes, sunrise good. Tayu vei rao pulaka uya!" Fang chuckled and pushed herself to her feet. Moving to the entrance, she grabbed her weapons and waved. "Bou! Light Ning"  
Lightning frowned, finally catching the awkward pronunciation of her name. "It's one word, Lightning. Goodnight."  
"Goodnight Lightning." Fang bowed her head and hurried outside.

She could handle the occasional gorgonopsid or two but when the gates closed and the behemoths emerged from the shadows, well even then the older hunters shied away from a fight unless they were hunting the creature in a group of ten or so other hunters. Thankfully the ledge to Lightning's cave was too small for something like that to get up there. The sound of thunder and rain drew her attention to the sky, it was a good sign. Mother was sending the rain to wash away the blood of the trespassers from their land.  
"Fang! What are you doing?" One of the other hunters called out, an older man with short greying hair and a scar that ran diagonally across his face.  
"Sorry I saw a cactoid and chased after it. I thought Vanille would love to have one of their flowers for her research." Fang rubbed the back of her neck and grinned under the cold stare of the warrior.  
Lugging his sword over his shoulder, he hid what concern he held for the young warrior as he looked at her. She would one day do harm to more than just herself. "Right and who is going to carry the flower from the behemoth's stomach?"  
Fang opened her mouth to speak but hung her head. "Sorry Sir Auron."  
"Sorry? Just be more careful Fang. If you keep me worrying about you all the time, you never know when I might just kick the bucket. That and if you get yourself killed, the Elder will have my head." The old man chuckled as they passed through the village gates.  
"Right, I'll be more cautious from now on. Oh hey can you tell me more about the sky-people?"  
Auron shook his head and laughed "Fang didn't you get your fill as a child? I told you my stories until you knew them better than I did."  
"Yeah but you told me stories about you and your people. I wanna know about the other sky people, what are they like? What is their world like?"  
Auron stopped. "The sky-people are demons sent to test our resolve for our past ways. Or are you questioning the Elder's judgement after today?" A moment passed in silence and Auron sighed, he could already sense trouble coming in his bones. "Fine I'll tell you what I can. Just keep me out whatever you've got planned. It would be smart for you to pay that sister of yours a visit. The Dia were exiled for their interest in sky-people in case you forgot."  
Fang crossed her arms and counter-glared. "Of course I didn't forget."  
"Oh and it's best you don't let the Elder know about the woman you saved either. Goodnight Fang" Auron said sounding as sour as usual and disappeared before Fang could question how he knew about Lightning. Taking her own leave, Fang turned and hurried back to her hut, burdened with worry. If Auron knew about then Lightning then who else knew? Fang sighed and shrugged the thought off only to have more worries throw themselves upon her shoulders. At least she knew Auron wouldn't spill her secret to the Elder.

Escaping the rainstorm, Fang slid open the door to her hut, a warmth radiating inside from the fire pit that centred the room and sprawled beside the gently burning fire was the red-head she was after. Fang leapt out of instinct at the sight of the gun pointing at her, slamming her head on the frame of her door and collapsing to her knees. "Oww bloody hell Vanille!" Fang glared at her sister who was examining one of the sky people's powder pipes.  
"Oops sorry Fang!" Vanille sat the gun down beside her and pleaded for her life. "It's not loaded, I swear!"  
Fang rubbed the bump on her head and glared at her sister. "And what the hell does that mean?"  
Vanille grinned as she fiddled with the gun and removed the magazine, thrusting it into Fang's face as the woman moved closer to the fire. "So the pistol fires bullets that go in here, and then it goes like this-" Vanille slotted the magazine back in and pulled the slide back "-and then you point and shoot!" Vanille aimed out the door at an unfortunate hunter passing by who threw himself to the ground to avoid her aim. Fang growled and snatched the thing away from her before someone actually got hurt.  
"So Vanille, how'd you get let back in any way? I mean you got banned from the camp after last time right?"  
The redhead grinned from ear to ear, so what if she had accidentally let loose some technology that may or may not have injured a dozen or so people, she helped them bring it down afterwards. "Well Fang unlike you, the Elder has needs and I was happy as a proud Dia to fulfil those needs."  
Fang eyed the red-head carefully as she sat down. "Meaning what exactly?"  
"I bribed her Fang and might I say with one of the Dia's finest carved behemoth tusk-"  
"Buahahaha! Do not finish that sentence!" Fang glared at Vanille in horror. "I'd rather not have that burnt into my mind thank you Vanille." Fang caught her breath, her skin still crawling from the thought of the Elder... Another shiver travelled down her spine as she moved the pot of soup back over the fire. "So you're here because of the sky people right?"  
The red-head took a moment to look around the room, squinting her eyes at the absence of her last gift. "Yes, I am. Speaking of which Fang I thought I gave you a radio."  
"Oh yeah, you did. It's here." Fang moved over to the pile of pelts and spears piled in the corner of the room. Rummaging through all the junk still pending Fang's attention, she produced the large black box. "This thing right?"  
"Grr! Fang, I told you to radio me as soon as sky people came. Think of how many more we could have caught if you had. I could even make head researcher this year." Taking the radio from Fang, Vanille shuddered at the state of it. There was enough dust and fur on it to bring down any behemoth that was unlucky enough to be downwind.  
"Oh yeah I also forgot about that frequency thing."  
Vanille grip tightened on the radio, setting it down before she broke something. Tearing the note off the top she held it up Fang's face. "Here Fang, it's right here. Well anyway despite your gross mistreatment of precious technology, we got word that the Yun had captured a sky-people ship and we sent an envoy over as fast as she could."

Fang awed at the speed of the Dia, the bulk of the fighting had only ended three or four hours ago and the Dia's convoy of their best warriors and traders had already arrived. Completing the journey across the mountain had been reduced significantly by their airships. Unlike the Yun clan who openly despised anything off-world and everything from the sky-people, the Dia had a different mindset. A mindset that sent them on expeditions into the tainted ruins of the old cities, a mindset that disassembled instead of destroyed. Salvaging technology like the airships that Vanille and the other Dia had travelled in.  
Sensing Fang's usual discomfort whenever Vanille started discussing the Yun's taboo of technology, she dragged her bag of loot over that was filled with goodies she already traded off the hunters. Small things and definitely not an entire airship, if only. Taking a moment to consider what Fang would like, Vanille scowled at the contents of her bag. Technical schematics and novels were of little use considering Fang still couldn't read their language so something more practical, something that could stab things. "Aha." Vanille hummed as her hand dug through all the junk and pulled out the silver object she was looking for. "A lighter."  
Fang turned the object over and shrugged as Vanille reached over and flicked a switch, conjuring a small flame. "Oh I mean I've got flints with me so..."  
Vanille groaned and snatched the lighter away from her. "Fine if you don't want it then-"  
"Hey what does this say?" Fang said, eyeing the small inscription on the face of the lighter.  
Vanille scrabbled over and looked at it. "Lightning, stay safe babe. So like thunder, a person maybe?" Vanille bit her lip and puzzled herself over the latter half of the inscription. She'd been puzzled for a while until she found some of Fang's more literature with 'XOXO BABE' written on them and often accompanied by rather inappropriate pictures of women.  
"Lightning." Fang's eyes lit up at the possible mention of the sky-person, her heart fluttered as she hoped that Lightning would be okay when Fang went out to see her tomorrow morning. Speaking of that, Fang needed to get herself put on hunting duties tomorrow, or maybe she could sneak away from the war party. The Elder had made it her personal mission to keep Fang from wandering around in the last few months. It all had to do with that... Fang gloomed down and snarled as she fell into the trap that was her memories. Letting herself take a turn towards Lightning, she grinned as she laid back and stared up at the ceiling.  
"Fang?" Vanille looked at Fang with a scrutinising glare, she was doing the grin at the roof like an idiot and not tell Vanille things' thing that she did when they were kids.  
"Hmm?" Fang remembered her sister's presence and did her best to shake off the daggers Vanille was glaring at her.  
"You're keeping something from me." Vanille said sternly and crossed her arms. "Fang?"  
"It's nothing Van, I promise." Fang grinned and grabbed herself a bowl of soup.  
"Fang, I know you're lying out your ass. I grew up with you remember?" Vanille huffed and took soup of her own. "So you caught a sky-person didn't you?!" Vanille leant on her hands and stared at Fang.  
Fang shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about Vanille."

Vanille smiled as she stirred her soup. "Well Fang, it just so happens that we're going out to examine the sky people's ship tomorrow morning and..."  
"You want me to come along in exchange for meeting the sky-person?" Fang looked at her sister who perked up and nodded.  
"Well that was easy, but yeah Fang. The Elder was pretty insistent that you not be let out tomorrow but well I can be pretty persuasive. She agreed that you come along as long as I keep my eye on you. Don't worry I'll leave my probes at home. So wanna spill the beans, how is he?"  
Fang blushed, blushed hard. "Vanille it's well... The sky-person is a she, a really cute she." Fang said and grinned like an idiot.  
"Oh crap... Tell me you did more than stare at her ass?" Vanille pulled her notepad from her bag and glared at Fang hoping to get more than cute and female down before the night was out. Trust Fang to be the first one to have the first civilised meeting with the sky-people and come away with just 'cute'.  
"Well..." Fang sat her food down and giggled to herself. "She had nice legs and the muscles on her stomach were pretty nice too."  
"And is that all? Please tell me you just didn't be a gay dork the entire time Fang? Did you at least talk to her?" Vanille frowned as Fang grabbed her spear and started sharpening it, avoiding looking at her. "Fang..." Vanille whined as her sister awkwardly shrugged.  
"Well a little, my English is still terrible Vanille but she did speak English as well so..."  
"You got nothing did you?"  
"Come on, I was distracted... Yeah, but I helped patch up all wounds she had."  
Vanille's face paled as she nearly leapt to her feet. "She was wounded, how bad? Does she need medical attention? Is it Dire?" Vanille fired out her questions, the urgency clear in her voice. She was ready to scramble her troops if she needed to.  
"Well no but she had a couple of cuts. Some pretty nasty looking ones on her legs and a big shallow cut across her chest, no arteries though or she'd have been dead by the time arrived. But we got them all fixed up so she'll be fine by morning Vanille, I promise."  
"Phew. Alright that's good to hear." Vanille sprawled herself out beside the fire and sighed in relief. "She better be or else I'll serve you up to your Elder."  
"Ouch, no sisterly love?" Fang winced and laid down opposite her. "I did catch you a sky-person."  
"All I have Fang for my notes is cute and wounded. Fang. Here, catch." Vanille tossed the lighter to Fang. "You should be the one to give it back to her, probably a better pick up line then uga uga me Fang, uga uga I like girls."  
"Shut up!" Fang growled and rolled over. "Like you're any better in that department."  
"Well not to brag but I've had seven girlfriends..." Vanille's life sapped out of her as the words left her mouth, they had left her just like the words she spoke. Vanille slouched over in her gloom, "Why are women so needy? I mean who needs to see me seven days a week?" Vanille groaned and buried her sobs in the furs underneath her.  
"Vanille-" Fang looked over to her sister, her face falling into concern.  
"I know... I work too much." Vanille cut her off and let out a melancholic sigh. "I really liked Rydia you know. It's just I'd be at work and I was like just one more hour to get this done so I know what I'm doing in the morning, and then I'd pass out and wake up feeling like shit so I..."  
"How long?" Fang asked, preferring to stare at the ceiling as she listened to Vanille.  
Vanille scrunched up her face and rubbed the tears from her eyes. "The last time? A week and a half. She came by the lab and told me she couldn't take it any more. And then Hope fucking told me to take a week off."  
Fang pushed herself up and looked over to Vanille, everyone on Gran Pulse knew the two had a shaky relationship at best. "Shit! Vanille what did you do?" Fang asked and watched Vanille's tears shift into a proud smirk.  
"Hehe well nobody thought that Hope would get his ass kicked by a little girl until that day." Vanille chuckled to stop herself from crying some more.  
"You're still a Dia right?" Fang asked, worried about Vanille throwing down with her boss. Their verbal spats were one thing but breaking the guy's nose was a first for Vanille.  
"Yeah of course I mean he might have the title of head researcher but I've got the brains. That and he bought me a lot of drinks afterwards and then well... I did stupid shit." Vanille groaned. "Speaking of that, you haven't got any alcohol do you?"  
"Ahem..." Fang puffed up her chest and did her best impression of the Elder. "All things from the sky-people are tainted. Alcohol is sky-people poison made to destroy our bodies."  
"Damn..." Vanille dug through her bag to see if she'd thought ahead and brought any. Unfortunately not...  
Looking over to Vanille, Fang's heart dropped at the red-faced, teary-eyed woman sitting across from her. "Vanille you can tell me alright, I'm not going to judge you because you slept with your boss."  
Vanille nodded and threw her arms out. "Well, it wasn't that bad."  
"He big?" Fang raised a brow a little curious about the head researcher of the Dia.  
"No, actually he was kinda small. I mean Rydia used bigger... Pfft sorry Fang." Vanille laughed at Fang who was bright red and doing just about everything she could to keep her mind off of that topic.  
"No it's fine Vanille, just tell me all about your awkward bedroom stuff involving Rydia topping you. I mean it's not like you're my little sister or anything." Fang waved and cursed herself for being so easily flustered. "So do you regret it, Hope I mean?" Fang asked carefully, she'd seen Vanille after a breakup and it was never pretty, at least she'd already skipped the break someone's nose stage of it. It didn't help that she'd met Rydia and the two of them had been head over heels for each other.  
"Yeah..." Vanille said and let her head fall down. "I fucked up this time, really bad. I had to get away from it all Fang."  
"That's why you're out here? Did Rydia find out?"  
"Oh yeah, she did. She uh..." Vanille stopped and took a shaky breath. "She came by our place to see me and tell me she wanted to try and make it work and... I want to die." Vanille laid back down and forced her eyes shut. "It's so nice out here, not having to worry about everything. There's always problems with the Dia, whenever we fix something a hundred other things break and everyone's so up their own ass they can't be bothered to fix it themselves. So off goes Vanille. Vanille can read English she can have it done in a tick, oh Vanille fixed that before she can handle it, oh Vanille, Vanille, Vanille! I'm just a shitty drunk that cheats on her girlfriend!" Vanille groaned at her own stupidity. "Why did I have to become a researcher?"  
"Hmm, an obsession with the unknown?"  
"Blaarg! The unknown sucks, stay dumb alright?"  
"Pfft sure thing Vanille."

After ten minutes of silently berating herself and crying into her pillow, Vanille managed to muster the energy to get up and face Fang again. Biting her lip looked at Fang for a moment, the huntress was lost as she spaced out. Vanille snuck over and poked her, laughing as Fang fell backwards and yelped as she put her hand in her soup. "Bloody hell Vanille! Ah there's soup all over the floor too, god you're an idiot sometimes." Fang laughed with Vanille, knowing that she needed it especially now.  
"So Fang have you gotten with anyone?" Vanille asked curious about her sister's love life. It was only fair that she got dirt too.  
Fang shook her head and cleaned up the soup she knocked over. "Nope I live with, how did you put it, a bunch of savage meat orcs?"  
"Yep, I mean the Yun way is stab first and then don't ask questions later." Vanille groaned and directed her anger outside to the Yun village for stabbing and burning potentially world-changing research. "Why did the Yun have to luck out and get the inviting and pleasant grassland while we Dia are stuck with mountains that are bordered by a desert filled with giant sandworms. It's unfair I tell you, you Archylte plebs get all the nice stuff. Us Dia's are left with cold winters and food shortages..."  
"And technological breakthroughs air-conditioning and electricity!" Fang threw her arms up, sounding very proud of her tribes' traditions. "And now Vanille you know why my ass is hanging out eighty per cent of the year."

 _The next day  
_

Lightning groaned as she pressed herself up against a tree overlooking the remains of the camp, the cuts on her legs still faintly stinging. She narrowed her eyes at the sight of a few tribals patrolling around. She knew she could handle them if she needed to but she'd rather not risk drawing the bulk of their forces back. As quietly as she could, she snuck towards the command room with the radio. If Jihl and the others managed to get away then that was Lightning's best chance to get in contact with them. Lightning rolled her eyes, wishing she had Lebreau's telepathy right now. Her attention turned back to the tribals as they all shot up to their feet and moved over to greet another group. They were differently dressed but it didn't matter to Lightning, she had her distraction. Lightning moved as quickly and quietly as she could, darting from cover to cover and avoiding the front group, her eyes more on alert for any hidden sentries she hadn't yet spotted. But Etro's luck it would seem was on her side. She reached the entrance to the command room and listened for the patter of feet that didn't come.

Her boots crunched across the casings littering the command room and over to the radio console. By some manner of luck, it was spared from the carnage that covered the rest of the room. Looking around cautiously, Lightning half considered closing the door but risked it, she'd be drawing enough attention as is. The last thing she needed was to get trapped like a mouse in a cage. Holding the headset up to her ear and turned the knob for the receiver.  
"Jihl this is Lightning, come in."  
Lightning gulped as she felt herself slipping out of herself and then suddenly slam back inside of her body. "The hell?" Lightning winced and dropped the headset as her fingers clutched at her head. She looked up to Lebreau who was holding her and looking at her with concern on her face.  
"Hey Lightning, sorry the shuttle can only receive signals at the moment, So Jihl sent me. It can be pretty disorientating at first given the fact that I had to brute force my way in." Lebreau looked around and grinned. "Hey while you're here Lightning mind picking up my toothbrush for me?"  
"Yeah I'll just go ask the tribals to let me pass." Lightning laughed as she pulled herself back up on her feet.  
"Right thanks Lightning. We touched down to the north, maybe a day or two by foot. Are you okay?" Lebreau eyed Lightning and the bandages wrapped around her arms.  
"Yeah." Lightning nodded and did her best to hide the pain coming from her chest. "I've had worse, and how are you all holding up?"  
Lebreau gave her a smile and ran her fingers over the bloodstains over her outfit. "I've had worse, a couple of scratches. The others are pretty banged up, some serious injuries." Lebreau smiled as she read Lightning's face. "Jihl's fine too, don't worry. She said she wouldn't die until she saw you again. Alright well, I'm gonna scoot, probably already pushed your limits. See ya Lightning." Lebreau vanished, leaving only a splitting headache as a reminder of her presence. Lightning staggered back from the console and pressed herself up against the wall while everything swayed around her.

"VAAK!"  
Lightning looked at the tribal who just shouted at her. His face scrunched up in anger as he rolled to the balls of his feet with his knife in hand. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she reached down and drew her own knife. She had to be quick, surely that call was not just a way of insulting her. The tribal took the first step. The ornate beads and charms that he wore around his neck clattered against his chest as he swung wide, missing Lightning's torso by a mile as she stepped back and scoffed. His attack was slow, jerky and untrained. Looking at him closer, underneath his war-paint Lightning could practically see the youth on his face, barely out of his teens if he could compare to a Cocoonian. But with her knife in hand and surrounded by the blood of her people, Lightning knew this was hardly the place for sentimentality. He was in her way and she seriously doubted a simple 'excuse me' would get her past. Taking her turn, Lightning dashed forward, her knife meeting his in a shower of sparks that eventually yielded in her favour. It would seem that the tribal wasn't as strong as his figure portrayed. She drove him quickly into the wall with a blow to the jaw and twisted his knife arm until it sounded with a sickening crunch, earning a yelp in pain from the tribal. Her knee followed, sending his head with it into the wall. Taking the moment's reprieve, Lightning exhaled and caught her breath. The kid was still breathing, just some bruises and a dislocated arm. Tucking her knife away she hurried outside. The other tribals stared her down, they'd only caught the pale ones in the dark and amidst the fear of battle. Now they stood before one, a sky-person standing tall with her head held high. Her eyes brushed over Fang's for a moment before she turned and sprinted into the camp, leaping over debris as she made her escape. The tribals followed, most of them were Yuns and with Vanille's orders, the Dia joined them, hopefully they would be able to catch her before the others did.  
"Fang?" Vanille watched the head of pink hair disappear before quickly turning to Fang.  
"Yeah that was her. Vanille I gotta go after her, my brothers will kill her now.  
"Why?" Vanille asked her head and her attention went to the tribal staggering out of the building, his adornments catching her attention. "Oh is that..."  
"Yeah." Fang nodded unenthusiastically. "The man Lightning assaulted was none other than the war chief's son."  
"Shit. I'm going to call in a pickup and you?"  
Fang stretched her arms over her head. "Well, they got their head start, time for me to get going."  
"Good luck Fang!" Vanille shouted and hurried inside the radio room. Her eyes widened at the technology scattered around, it was appalling, old and decayed. Compared to what the Dia had salvaged, this had to be maybe decades behind. "Right controls are, here." Vanille knelt down and picked up the headset. Curiosity brought it to her ear. "This is Jihl Nabaat of the Public Security and Intelligence Command, all soldiers are to rendezvous in the mountains to the north. I repeat mountains to the north, this message will now repeat."  
Vanille quickly jotted the frequency down before switching it to the Dia frequency used for their airships. At least now she knew the sky-people were moving towards the Dia."This is researcher Vanille Dia, we have a code one. Requesting pick up immediately."

Lightning huffed and panted as she pushed her legs onwards despite the pain coming back in her legs. Watching the sunrise, walking underneath the trees and sprawling herself out in the grass with Jihl in her arms were all things she had on her to do list when she got to Pulse. Running in full kit, plus medical supplies with a horde of angry knife-wielding savages on her tail was definitely not on that list. Breaking out from the forest and onto a large flat plain Lightning risked looking behind her, a few seconds passed before tanned skin emerged from the woods. They were gaining on her and she wouldn't last long in her current state. They all stopped however with the roaring of engines, Lightning knew it only from movies. A bi-plane roared overhead and sent the Yun diving down into the ground, all looking in horror at the monster circling the sky. The other Dia quickly rushed out with Fang behind them. "Lightning! Friend!" Fang shouted and pointed to the plane which had begun it's descent, bobbing across the ground as it touched down. The Dia quickly moved to block the Yun's path, which was rather effective with the added threat of their rifles.  
One of the Dia stepped up to the Yun warrior who stood out the front. "Maak she is the property of the Dia, we came here to negotiate the release of the sky-people technology for supplies and she is apart of that deal."  
"She attacked the war chief's son, there will be no deal little Dia." The Yun snorted and stepped forward, ignoring the gun pressing into his side. "Tell your head researcher that, coward."  
"Well until either the elder or the war chief tell me otherwise. She remains the cargo of this caravan Maak."  
"We will wait then. She will die little Dia." Maak crossed his arms and sent two of his warriors back to the camp, likely to fetch the war chief himself.

Fang hurried over and smiled happily as she saw Lightning on her feet. "Lightning. Hello."  
"Hello." Lightning said and looked at Fang in the daylight. It put her a little more at ease with Fang here.  
"Hello too!" A small woman shouted, with one leg hanging over the edge of the plane as she haphazardly disembarked. Pulling the aviator cap off her head, she shook her bright red hair and extended her hand. "I am Vanille Dia, representative of the Dia people." Vanille said in English.  
"You actually speak English?" Lightning looked to her stunned, her English was complete and intelligible.  
Vanille gave her a nod and punched Fang playfully in the arm. "I do and she was supposed to practice it in case she ever met someone like you, lazy bum. If I might, could I suggest you come with us?"  
Lightning's hand went to her knife. "I'd prefer to go my own way thank you."  
"Well you can keep trying to outrun the Yun but Fang can tell out how hopeless that is. So Lightning it's either you come with us or the Yun and you've seen how they deal with your people. So better to come with us right?" Vanille bit her lip hoping that would be enough to persuade the woman, there was always plan b which involved Fang and the blunt end of her spear.  
Lightning eased up her grip on her knife and looked over to the shouting taking place between the Yun. She 'had' seen how the Yun treated her people. "I don't really have a choice do I?" Lightning asked.  
"Mmm not really unless you want to end up as someone's floor rug." Vanille chuckled. "Don't worry my people can handle that group of Yun but we can't take on their entire war party."  
"And her?" Lightning pointed to Fang.  
Vanille shared some words with Fang in their language, whatever it was it made Fang smile and blush a little.  
"She says that she'd like to come but she doesn't expect her ass to fit in the plane. Her name is Fang by the way. She'll do her best to meet up with us later."  
"Right, she uhh told me her name last night." Lightning nodded and held her hand out to Fang, the woman just eyed it and looked to Vanille for translation of the gesture. The red-head rolled her eyes in a frustrated groan and clasped their hands together before scolding Fang again.  
"It was nice to meet you Fang." Lightning said and shook her hand firmly.  
Vanille translated it and Fang smiled back at her. "It... nice meet you, Lightning." The Pulsian said in her broken English and stepped back. Pointing to her fellow tribesman she spouted something out that Lightning didn't understand and picked up her spear as she went to defuse the situation.  
"Sorry, she's annoyingly lazy when it comes to things she needs to get done. Maybe with you around she'll learn English though."  
"Why would she?" Lightning asked as she clambered into the backseat of the plane, there was barely enough room as Vanille climbed in with her.  
"Well ummm she kinda..."  
Fang jumped up onto the plane and flashed another smile. "Lightning..." She paused and dug through her things. "Tuvi? Ah." Fang pulled out the lighter and handed it to her. "To Lightning."  
"Oh?" Lightning took the lighter and ran her hand over it, finding solace in the small engraving that ran against her fingers. "Thank you Fang."  
Turning her attention to Vanille, Fang scowled and rattled something out in her language. Vanille just sighed loudly and nodded. "Eka, eka! Fang! Utah erok yu Vaasha!" Vanille said and looked to Fang who stared at her for a moment. "Lukoro Fang!"  
Fang nodded, seemingly satisfied with the redhead's answer. She shifted back into a happy grin as she looked at Lightning, or more fittingly everything around her. "Bye Lightning."  
"Bye Fang."  
Fang went bright red for a moment before she leapt off the plane and hurried back to the others. "So what were you saying about Fang?"  
Vanille just shook her head and fought herself from laughing. "No it's nothing. Alright, we're ready." Vanille leant forward and tapped the pilot on the shoulder. With a sputter, the engine accelerated and the plane turned around. The Yun went wild, throwing punches and shouting as the Dia held them back. Lightning looked over the commotion and to Fang who ducked under a punch and retaliated with one of her own, dropping the Yun to the ground. A knife came her way, maybe from the one called Maak. But before it could land, a Dia showed him to the end of his rifle.  
"Are they going to be fine?" Lightning shouted just so Vanille could hear her over the roar of the engine.  
"Yeah, they can't kill the Dia because of a trade agreement and well Fang is a pureblood Yun. She is the daughter of their leader and pretty much a Yun princess."  
"Alright." Lightning gulped, her grip tightening on the plane as she felt the ground underneath her fall away. "Oh god, we're flying... in this." Her stomach dropped into knots as she made the mistake of looking over the edge. Quickly she ducked back inside and quivered in fear as her distance between the ground grew.  
"You know it's kinda funny. We refer to you as sky-people but you don't like flying do you?" Vanille looked to Lightning who was balled up behind her and chanting to herself.  
"No I don't like the sky. I've only been flying once and that was on the way here." Lightning answered quick, her voice betraying her calm and cool exterior.

Lightning opened her eyes to the back of Vanille's overalls, letting herself focus on anything else other than the fact that she was currently a few hundred metres in the air. The red-head had a radio headset over her ears and her head in her lap as she droned on softly in her language. Lightning's throat was dry, she hadn't had anything to drink since the morning and running from the Yun as Vanille had called them had kept her mind on other things. Reaching down she pulled her canteen and took a sip, looking out at the white clouds surrounding her. It was almost a pleasant change from the constant grey clouds that hung over Bodhum.  
"Vanille..?" Lightning asked and gently tapped Vanille's shoulder to get her attention.  
The redhead gazed over her shoulder and acknowledged Lightning's pleading look with a nod. Turning back to the front she continued talking for a minute or so before yelling something to the pilot. Taking off the headset, she turned around to Lightning. "Sorry just had to get in contact with home base. What's up?"  
"I was wondering why you are helping me? The Yun seemed pretty against us sky-people." Lightning bit her lip and watched Vanille closely, a warm smile crossed her face in her attempt to be as welcoming as possible.  
"Well firstly I'm not a Yun, I'm a Dia. Our clans are somewhat dived by our beliefs. See the Yun are ruled by two chiefs, the war chief and a spiritual chief, the Elder who serves more like a shaman. She leads the clan as she is the one who interprets the mother's wishes."  
"The mother?" Lightning asked.  
"The mother is their god pretty much. Rules over life and death, that kinda thing." Vanille said and groaned in disapproval of the deity. "If you ask me it's all a bunch of tribal nonsense that just keeps the Yun from evolving. Which brings us to the second thing. We Dia aren't a bunch of spear jabbing savages. Hmm how to put it..." Vanille traced a finger along her chin as she thought to herself. "Us Dia are open to things, we see the sky-people as an opportunity to learn instead of as demons sent from hell above."  
Lightning covered her mouth as she scoffed. "Hell above huh? I'm sorry to kill your hopes but the Yun are pretty spot on about that."  
"Really?" Vanille eyed Lightning with curiosity overflowing, it was her first chance to learn about the sky-people, suck it Hope!

"Ma'am." The pilot interrupted the duo in the midst of discussing Lightning's homeworld. "We're setting down. There is a snowstorm on the mountains." The pilot shouted back to Vanille in their language, and Vanille nodded and carried the message to Lightning. "You might want these." Vanille handed her a pair of goggles. "We're going into a storm so we have to land."  
"Okay." Lightning said and quickly pulled on the goggles. She wasn't going to argue with the swirling mass of clouds ahead of her. "Shit!" Lightning cursed as the plane descended quickly. "Oh god, we're going to die!" Lightning shouted and pushed herself down into her chair.  
"We're fine. Our pilot is the best we Dia got." Vanille said reassuring her before she turned back to the front. The pilot lined up with the small strip of red lights that Lightning could barely make out. Vanille bubbled with energy which was likely her attempt to alleviate Lightning's fear of crashing and exploding in a ball of fire into the side of a mountain. They didn't crash. Lightning however winced as the plane set down a bit rougher than she had expected. The bump sent excruciating pain through every inch of her body. Gritting her teeth she slammed herself back into her seat and seethed from the pain, barely able to keep herself from screaming out in pain. If the sudden wash of warmth on her chest was any indication then her wound on her chest had just opened up again.  
"Lightning! Are you alright?" Vanille asked as her ears had caught the woman's whimper.  
Lightning managed a nod through her pained expression. "Yeah... Just the Yun left me with a couple of unwanted parting gifts." Lightning laughed, her voice was quiet as to not let on her pain.  
"Crap, sorry I totally forgot. Are you going to be fine? We can fix you up when we get inside." Vanille looked her up and down with worry, especially the splotches of red seeping through her tank top.  
"I'm fine Vanille, but did it hurt when you fell out of heaven?" Lightning laughed as she repeated one of Jihl's cheesy pickup lines. It helped get her mind off of the pain and besides Vanille had come down and carried her off into the sky.  
"God that's... and here I thought we got rid of Fang." Vanille cursed as she leapt down from the plane, looking to the pilot to help get Lightning down. The pilot caught Lightning as the woman nearly collapsed in the snow.  
"Sorry it's my legs." Lightning winced as she took a step.  
"Pfft, I've heard that one before." Vanille chuckled, she'd been in a similar position. "Sorry right, not the time. Well hold on tight and we'll get you fixed up."  
Lightning sighed in relief as Vanille helped her out of the storm and into a sheltered building. Their pilot moved to help a few people pull in a plane while Vanille pulled Lightning through a side door to what looked like a nurse's office. It sure beat cave light and shaky hands. Lightning sat down and watched Vanille pull out a number of containers. "Where's the doctor?"  
"Oh sorry." Vanille took and bowed her head before she continued. "Doctor Vanille Dia at your service. My girlfriend... my ex-girlfriend was a combat medic. She made sure that I knew my way around a first aid kit. This is more just a refuelling station for our aircraft so it doesn't have a large complement of staff, mainly engineers and soldiers." Vanille stopped in front of Lightning with a pair of scissors to cut off the bloody bandages. "Trust me?"  
Lightning nodded and stripped out of her shirt. "I don't really have a choice."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello! Yes this in an update, crazy right? I guess first things first is that his bumped Brass out of it's top-spot so it's gonna be a while till I get that tied up and speaking of tied up... My holidays are over so we got back to the regular schedule of...**

 **Anyway regarding all the gibberish poop Fang and Vanille say, I did have a rough note of what that was but lost it so I don't have a clue either. I hope you enjoy and sorry for any weird line breaks, my grammer checker is being an ass and throwing them all over the place right now. Oh and sadly no Vanille x Serah in this fic, she is a world away and paired with that big loaf of bread known as Snow.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, how are you holding up?"

Lightning looked up from her meal and to the redhead that crossed the room. "That depends on whether this storm is finally letting up."

The storm that had forced them to set down at the mountain base had raged for over a week now. Not that it was as bad as storms on Cocoon. It had given Vanille time to point out all the luxuries of Dia technology. The first and most important in Lightning's book was the heating throughout the base that kept it pleasantly warm during her stay. The second best was the hot meal and a steaming coffee on the bed beside her.

"Well then i can gladly tell you our reports say it should clear up tomorrow evening." Vanille sat on the bed beside her and took the chance to give Lightning a look over. "How are you holding up, think you can travel by plane again?"

"No other option?" Lightning asked already dreading the idea of getting back into Vanille's flying coffin again.

"Not unless you want to take a three day hike through the mountains." Vanille chuckled at the look Lightning gave her in return. "Don't worry it's just a few hours left until we arrive."

"I'd really rather not." Lightning laughed and took a sip of her coffee before one of Vanille's people pushed in the room, a look of worry on his face as he quickly reported something in their language.

Vanille nodded a few times before giving Lightning a reassuring smile. "Sorry, something has come up. I'll be back in a bit to finish your check up."

"My check up?" Lightning looked to Vanille who nodded enthusiastically.

"Mhm, can't have you dropping dead now that we're so close," She paused and let a giggle fill the room "and if you think that coffee is good just wait until we arrive in Oerba."

The base was just as busy as the mountains surrounding it, especially at an hour so early in the morning. Vanille and the scout who brought up the topic lead her passed a few mechanics mid yawn and to the main entrance. A few over soldiers were chatting casually although their bodies were ready to spring into action at a moments notice, more than usual with the intimidating Dia warrior in their midst.

"Fang!" Vanille shouted, surprised to see her sister again so soon.

Fang met her gaze, her eyes submissive and betraying her act of bravado. "We need to talk."

At Vanille's order, the soldiers filed out of the room, leaving the sisters to talk in private. "So something new with the Dia?" Vanille asked with concern. Fang was serious which meant more trouble than usual. "Its not about the sky-people is it?"

"No, its a little more complicated than that. Its Mother, but you knew about that one huh."

"I'm sorry Fang, she asked me to keep it a secret." Vanille dropped her head, leaving open to Fang who gently rubbed her head.

"Its fine Vanille, I'm more annoyed with the old behemoth is dropping this on me now. So its my job now to deal with the War Chief trying to usurp power of the clan and driving us into another war with the Dia."

"That would be suicide!" Vanille shouted in protest.

Fang nodded and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, try telling those idiots that. So she wants me to prove my strength."

Vanille gave her a questioning look and watched Fang produce a ceremonial looking dagger that the Elder kept in her tent. "Thats-"

"Etro's Tear, yeah. So guess im next in line to be the next Elder huh. Just one small catch." Fang said, her words falling heavy as they left her mouth. Silence ensued between the two sisters as Vanille nodded in understanding.

"I see." She said bleak. "Fang" Vanille tightened her knuckles and look straight at Fang, the dullness in her eyes dragged her down further. "I won't stop you, if you decide to do, that, but please think about it, we could try and find another way."

"Yeah." Fang said and happily buried the knife as far down in her bag as she could. A smile crossed her lips as she turned her eyes to food. "So any good grub around here?"

"God damn!" Fang exclaimed as she finished the food Vanille sat before her. "Maybe I really should ditch the Yun." She added as her hands found the hot cup of coffee Vanille had also prepared for her.

"So, have you decided on what you're going to do, with Lightning I mean?" Vanille asked.

"I have." Fang said, the joy from a moment ago missing from her voice. "You strive to protect your people and so I gotta try, even if it is from their own bloody selves." Fang finished the rest of her coffee and let out a heavy sigh. "I wanna talk to her before I do though, so wanna tag along?"

"Mhm, and I might just talk you out of it." Vanille said with a grin as she took the lead.

"Uhuh, is that right?" The yun warrior could barely contain a grin at seeing her sister was back to her old self again.

Lightning looked up at the infirmary door, a feeling of unease crawling over her skin as the two sisters entered. Vanille was in the lead with her usual smile on her face and suprisingly a short sword in her hands. What unnerved Lightning the most was the woman behind her, a blue mask covering her face and a set of Yun armour hidden underneath the dark cloak the woman was wearing.

The warrior stopped at the door while Vanille carried her disheartened expression over to Lightning. She rested the sword against the bed across from Lightning and let out a sigh as she sat down. "Lightning, I have very bad news." Lightning nodded and cast a glance from the corner of her eye to the warrior, taking note of the details of her surroundings as her brain switched into a flight or fight mode. "A Yun warrior has declared a challenge against you."

"A challenge?" Lightning asked, putting her hope in Vanille not feeding her to the wolves.

"A contest of strength. It is more often a dispute between tribe leadership and in this case it is in a dumb Yun way." Vanille said and her lips turned to a frown. "I could go into the details if you want but simply put, your prescence has disrupted their leadership and this warrior is here to settle it."

"I see. I guess I have no choice huh." Lightning stood up and pulled off the gown that would restrict her movements. Vanille awed at the woman in front of her and not just because of the beautiful shapely mounds under the sports bra Lightning was wearing. Lightning was a warrior after all, a fact Vanille had forgotten until now as she looked at Lightnings abundance of muscle that was hidden underneath her clothes.

Lightning stretched and groaned, casting off a weeks worth of laying in bed and shirking any of her usual excercise. "So I just have to beat them?" Lightning asked.

Vanille nodded and held the sword out for her. She tripped over words as she spoke. "Y-yes." She said hesitantly and cast a concerned look over to the warrior.

The yun woman stepped forward, her sandals clacking against the floor as she reached up and took off her mask. "Hey Lightning." Vanille stood uo and shared some words with Fang before silently making her way out of the room.

"Hey Fang." Lightning said and stepped out into the centre of the room, watching Fang's movements carefully.

"I'm sorry." Fang said, hushed under regret and drew her spear. With a sigh she lunged forward. Lightning was unprepared as she was reminded of the tribals speed and strength, barely keeping her feet planted as her sword met Fang's spear. Slipping back she watched for a lunge. It came as Fang spun her spear as she charged. Slamming her feet down, her spear shot out towards Lightning's chest. The woman narrowly dodged and retaliated by side stepping the jab and bringing her sword across in a slash. Fang smirked as she dropped low and kicked Lightning's feet out from underneath her. Before Lightning could act, she hit the floor and Fang sent her sword skidding across the room. As she stood over Lightning, spear jn hand, she hesitated for a split second but it was all Lightning needed to pull Fang off balance and crashing into the ground beside her. Quickly straddling her hips and pinning Fang down, Lightning unleashed a barrage lf punches towards Fang's face. The pulsian tanked the blows as she waited for an opening to appear in Lightning's defence. It might not have been the most honourable attack but Fang quickly dived forward, driving her fist into the still healing wound on Lightning's stomach. She gasped and came to a halt. The pulsian underneath her didnt hesitate this time and switched their positions. Lightning winced as her back met the floor and Fang towered over her. There was nothing in reach and the behemoth of a woman on top of her barely showed any wear from her previous attack. She sucked her teeth and stared Fang down.

And it worked, somehow. Fang slouched back and let out a long, exasperated sigh as her face turned from focus to sadness. Minutes passed and the duo remained entangled. Fang met Lightning's eyes for the first time they had been in the same room and Lightning swore the woman eas about to spill into tears. "Sorry." The words passed over the tanned warriors lips and she pulled herself to her feet and left Lightning on the floor.

"Fang!" Vanille called out to her sister, who emerged less bloody than the redhead had imagined.

Her sister met her gaze and hung her head. "She needs attention, I opened a few of her wounds." Fang said and slid down the wall, letting her head fall into her hands. Vanille nodded and hurried inside. Lightning was in a better state than she had imagined too, her sister had definitely pulled a few punches. It was cute, she thought. And definitely a sign that her sister wasn't as dumb as the rest of her tribe. She snickered and smiled as she helped Lightning back to her bed. "Here you go Lightning. Just give me a second and we'll have you all patched up."

"Vanille, what was that?"

The redhead stopped and frowned. "Trouble, a lot of trouble."

 **A/N: And I'm back, its been a really long while huh. Hopefully this tiny little update keeps you sated until I update again. Sorry if it's not the best as I typed it out mostly while waiting in airports on my phone. I hope you have all been well and have a wondeful day, enjoy!**


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